Wednesday, September 26, 2012

One Naughty Night (The Scandalous St. Claires, #1) by Laurel McKee

From Amazon:A hundred years has passed since the bitter rivalry between the St. Claires and the Huntingtons began. But in London, the feud goes on . . .

UNDER THE COVER OF NIGHT, NOTHING IS FORBIDDENLily St. Claire will do anything for the family that saved her from the streets. With their support, the young widow has become the hostess of The Devil's Fancy, London's most exclusive gaming den. She's determined to restore the St. Claire family fortune, lost a century before to the despised Huntington clan. But a ghost from her past may be her ultimate undoing . . . Lord Aidan Huntington is handsome and wealthy, with a taste for adventure and a reputation for wickedness. A gambler and a rake, Aidan can't resist a seductive woman with secrets - but one naughty night with Lily leaves him wanting more. As Lily is drawn into London's dark underworld by an old enemy, Aidan will risk everything to save the woman who has awakened his deepest desires.

My Review: While my homework does reveal that the F' word would have been used during the Victorian era I did find the usage of the word frequent and frustrating as its glaring presence pulled me from the story." the origins and usage of the “F” word, making it likely that the words was know in the 1820’s, but not used in polite conversation....""F--- has a multitude of slang synonyms such as screw, poke, plow, ride, sex, jazz ... with the rise of the middle class, and reached its zenith during the Victorian age, ..."Ultimately I enjoyed this novel- the characters were compelling and likable, the sexytime a little over the top and yet believable in the context of the story. I am looking forward to the next installment into the St'Claire saga, the setup and the end of book one was delicious and thought provoking- and I have already added it to my Christmas Wish-List!Overall I liked it- three sparkly stars!